3 years prior to this world cup was the ‘08 Beijing Olympics. Was a freshman in high school and was told by my so called (white) friends that I wasn’t allowed to root for china bc I’m american. it doesn’t matter that i’m part chinese, i wasn’t allowed to root for people who looked like me if they were from a different country. the kicker was that same ppl who said that can root for italy, germany, ireland, etc. then 2010 world cup happened and that opened my eyes to actually watching and paying attention to football/messi/barça. 2011 comes around, it’s junior year in hs, it was hard to watch women’s world cup and I barely rmr most of the tournament, but I vividly rmr this game. bc of what happened after 2008, i got so petty (still am) that I will root for an asian country first. seeing japanese women go against western women, beating them at their own game…I couldn’t believe it. The way japan played - it was their football, their culture, their way. They played for their country who suffered a major natural catastrophe and willed themselves to go to the final. this game had EVERYTHING. USA were favorites to win it all. Alex Morgan comes in as a sub, changed the game to their favor but Japan kept coming back. The extra time equalizer from Japan lives in my mind forever. How did Homare Sawa connect that corner kick by a flick that shot through the US defenders? I still get chills when I watch that goal. Sawa’s reaction after that goal still makes me emotional. to be the captain of your team, to have played for the national team since she was 15, to win the world cup for your country after a horrible tragedy - she is my hero and my favorite player by miles. That respect extends to the 2011 Japan roster too. if you think the 2022 world cup had everything, check this game out first. back to back equalizer, extra time goals, PKs. This game solidified me as a nadeshiko fan for life. がんばれ なでしこジャパン! 🇯🇵 POTM Sawa and Miyama (chose Kumagai bc she’s part of 2011 crew)